Category: Buckie Thistle

Lossie go into the game at Victoria Park with a near full squad including Shawn Scott who returns after a lengthy spell on the side lines. Lossie also welcome Martin McMullen, Andrew Stewart, Ryan Farquhar and Nathan Smith back into the squad. Willie Mathers is also included in the squad after last weeks leg knock. However, the Coasters will be missing left back Ally Bellingham who is unavailable. Aaron Hamilton is also a doubt with thigh strain .

Word From The Gaffer:

We had a good training session at Grant Park on Monday but training was hindered on Wednesday due to the weather. We did some running around the town whilst the players in Aberdeen and Forres did similar in their home towns.

A very tough game on Saturday but we have every intention of making a good account of ourselves. Recent history has shown positive results for us in this fixture, however we are under no illusions of the task, but if the lads play well with positivity then we know there are weaknesses in their set up.

Lossiemouth have been scheduled to play Buckie Thistle on Saturday, January 24th, 2015, with a 1500hrs KO. The fixture was initially scheduled for the weekend after Christmas but was cancelled due to a frozen pitch.

The sides met last week at Victoria Park, Buckie where Lossiemouth were 4-2 winners.

The turn of the year brings with it Derby Day in the Press and Journal Highland League, and gives supporters the opportunity to exchange the gifts of gloating and misery in front of friends, family and work colleagues.

Lossiemouth, however, have been left without a proper derby since the departure of Elgin City for pastures new fifteen years ago, and attempts to fill the gap in the calendar with games against Rothes have failed to inspire a similar level of enthusiasm or contempt. Some recent meetings with Forres Mechanics came close to elevating that fixture to derby status, but the intensity of the pairing has been reduced significantly due to midweek meetings. And so, with no-one else to first foot, Lossie have been paired with coastal neighbours Buckie for the last couple of festive seasons.

The two towns glower at each other across the water in winter, with the picturesque summer setting long forgotten by the time this fixture comes to the fore. Were the towns a little closer Buckie residents could, on their evening walk home from the workhouse, catch a glimpse of strange horseless carriages cruising the clean streets of Lossie, their journey guided by electric street lights which illuminate both the street and the night sky, taunting the hardworking lamplighters of Buckie who long for such technological advances to make their way across the border into the Shire.

Despite the lack of distance and an almost inbred history shared between the two sides, the idea of this being their derby match is probably as strange a concept to Buckie as it is to Lossie. Deveronvale are their rivals as much as Elgin were Lossie’s, and with four titles and numerous other bits of tin accumulated between them over the past decade and more, the two would no doubt like to become reacquainted in the holidays and pull in the kind of four figure crowds that attended the final day title shootout three seasons ago, but the presence of Turriff United means Vale now face farmers instead of fishermen over the festive season.

Whatever opinions are on the stature of the fixture, it hasn’t stopped Lossie from giving Buckie the kind of beating from which even a New York police officer would fail to escape punishment. The Coasters romped to a 3-1 home victory last January and on Saturday cruised to a 4-2 win at Victoria Park. Scott DUNN opened the scoring before Chris ANGUS score once in each half to give Buckie the lead. Lossie may have turned up with coal and shortbread but once through the door they made straight for the drinks cabinet, and goals from Shawn SCOTT and Ryan FARQUHAR were followed by a late Kevin FLETT penalty as the visitors made merry before staggering out the door with a first win for Charlie Charlesworth since his return. The noisy band of travelling supporters took great delight in what had just happened, while the few remaining Buckie fans left in the ground at full time were open mouthed at what had unfolded in front of them and, having watched their side fail to beat Lossie in 2014, must have been wondering if 2015 is to be equally miserable.

Elgin City’s impending relegation from SPFL League Two at the end of this season means the possibility of a reunion between Lossie and the Skiters is on the cards, but if for nothing other than the three points, perhaps we can play it in the summer and keep on meeting Buckie Thistle during the holidays.

An assured performance saw Lossiemouth romp to victory over champions Buckie Thistle at a soaking Victoria Park. Martin McMullan and Zander Sutherland scored in the opening six minutes but man of the match Nikki Smith lobbed Kevin Main from thirty yards out to win the game for the Gowlacticos.

Lossie were without the services of Ricky Wardrop and the recently released Craig Morrison, and started the game with Nikki Smith up front on his own supported by a strong midfield. Buckie went into the game without a win since the beginning of September, but welcomed Mark Chisholm into the line-up for his home debut.

The game was only five minutes old when Lossie opened the scoring. Darren McConnachie thumped a goalkick downfield, and the head of a Buckie player knocked the ball into the path of Martin MCMULLAN who raced through on goal before rifling the ball past Kevin Main from inside the area.

Buckie were level immediately. Zander SUTHERLAND cut inside from the stand side touchline and from 25 yards out curled a superb shot into the bottom corner of the net, giving McConnachie no chance.

Sutherland was involved in the next chance for the hosts, setting up Jamie Shewan for a strike but McConnachie was down quickly to save. Shewan should have closer with his next chance, taking possession of a curling ball on the edge of the box before shanking his shot out of the ground.

Just before the half hour Lossie were ahead for a second time, aided by a calamitous error from the Buckie defence. Lewis Mackinnon made a mess of a pass to Mark Chisholm and Nikki SMITH took possession thirty yards out before lobbing the helpless Main with a deluxe finish.

Lossie could have added to their lead before the interval when Liam Archibald crossed for Colin Charlesworth, but the hard working midfielders header went over the bar.

Half time – Buckie Thistle 1-2 Lossiemouth

While Lossie looked totally at ease throughout the game, Buckie became more and more frustrated as the game went on. Zander Sutherland let the travelling support get to him prior to his substitution on the hour, and Michael Morrison offered a one-fingered reply to a critique of his performance thus far to the crowd in the enclosure.

With the home fans baying for blood, Buckie upped their game as they chased a second equaliser, but a series of long range efforts failed to trouble the Lossie defence. When they managed to get closer to goal, Buckie were undone by a lack of accuracy, and Lewis Mackinnon heading over from three yards did nothing to calm the nerves of the supporters.

The final minutes saw chances for both sides. A spell of Buckie pressure culminated with Andy Low sending a headed effort wide of goal when he should really have hit the target. At the other end, the more pessimistic Buckie fans seen heading home with time to spare would have moved even faster towards the exits had Nikki Smith finished a one on one chance, but the Lossie man screwed his shot just wide of Mains far post.

The win leaves Lossie five points off the top of the table, but the Coasters can keep up with the leaders with wins over Brora Rangers and Fort William at the Bernagow in the coming weeks.